"I knew the second he left the ground, it would all just, not fade away, but kind of get quieter," explained the 33-year-old, "be more of an internal experience, and then just be joyful."
Sanni understands not everyone can find the fun in watching their partner very much put their life at risk. But she's been something of a steady rock for Alex since they met at a 2015 book signing.
She has "moments" of concern, she acknowledged. But when it comes to Alex—who captured his rope-free ascent up Yosemite National Park's El Capitan in the 2018 Oscar-winning 2018 documentary Free Solo—taking on new free-climbing challenges, "Everybody kind of speaks their mind, you say your piece, and then you kind of see what decision is made," Sanni noted. "You try to make decisions as a team, but you also have to respect the art behind it and the passion behind it."
And it was that eye for adventure that initially drew her in at that Seattle book signing.
Though the Washington-born, North Carolina-raised outdoorswoman had taken a liking to rock climbing herself, "I hadn’t known a single thing about him," she confessed in an essay for Outside of that first encounter, "but after listening to him speak, I decided he was cute and funny, so I left my phone number on the table as I walked away."
Grabbing pizza together weeks later, they learned all the ways they were not alike. "I was an outdoor dilettante; he had committed his entire life to rock climbing," she wrote. "I lived with four friends in the middle of the city; he spent entire rest days alone in his van. I treasured nuance and context; he found clarity in the black and white."
And yet despite being total opposites, "Somehow there was a spark," she continued. "As we laughed and watched each other, I was unaware that he had recently signed a contract with National Geographic to film a documentary about his life."
Six months later, in June 2016, she left her job at a Seattle-based tech start-up and joined him on a trip across Europe.
"He was like no one I had ever met: incredibly brave, quietly in need of love and approval, confident, and whip-smart," she detailed of what she discovered as they hiked through the Alps. "Mostly, he was playful and made me laugh. I think he appreciated my self-deprecating sense of humor and enthusiasm for life, but maybe it was my convenient lack of employment."
When they returned Stateside, "It didn’t take long before we took three boxes from the basement and placed them in the back of his van," she shared. "As we drove away from the house, I asked, 'Did we just move in together?'"
But they were soon back to form, including June on their family hikes and even paying a visit to El Capitan.
Nor did they miss a beat when her little sister Alice arrived two years later.
With Alex working on projects like the National Geographic series Arctic Ascent in Greenland, "We have a few big trips planned for our new family of four—all with changeable tickets and refundable Airbnbs, just in case!" Sanni explained to People at the time. "To be honest, I'm not sure if our expectations are too high for what is possible with two kids, but we are going to try our best!"
And together they remain on the rise, Sanni tackling her own career ambitions with the 2018 launch of her outdoor retreat series Outwild along with Sanni McCandless Coaching.
Curated by Ryan Davies
